The Farr Side: Miley Cyrus reintroduces herself

Thursday

Oct 24, 2013 at 9:00 AM

The former “Hannah Montana” star has taken heat for her recent, racy tirades.

By David T. Farr

Get a freaky new ‘do. Check. Create a scandalous performance at the VMA’s. Check. Make a video that will light up the Internet, release songs that will top the charts, drop one of the biggest albums of 2013. Check. Check. Check!If you think this the perfect way to create a moment, you’d be correct. If you think this is the perfect way to shed the past, you’d also be correct. If you think this was the perfect way to work over the press, you’d be mostly right. This is a typical recipe for any pop music star-wannabe. It has worked for a number of superstars, notably Madonna, Britney Spears and Lady Gaga. But it wasn’t as surprising a move for them as it has been for Miley Cyrus. The former “Hannah Montana” star has taken heat for her recent, racy tirades. I do believe the wild child pop throwdown is a calculated plan to reintroduce herself in a world flooded with young, female stars vying for affection of their fans. Others might think she’s just being Miley. To each his own, I guess. Whatever it is, it worked. Cyrus achieved exactly what she wanted to achieve when she gyrated with Robin Thicke on the VMA’s. All the twerking and jerking paid off. We all bought into it, folks. She had the social media networks turned upside-down, with everybody talking about her. She may be 20 now, but something just still feels wrong about it. I don’t know. But I will say this: She doesn’t look comfortable in her own skin. With all that being said – “Bangerz” is the No. 1 album. It debuted atop the Billboard Hot 200 Albums chart last week, toppling albums by Justin Timberlake, Drake and Cher.“We Can’t Stop” was a huge summer hit for Miley. I liked the song, too, but could do without the video. Yet it was only a precursor to what came next.The video for the follow-up, “Wrecking Ball,” created a buzz like no other when it was leaked online. There, riding on a wrecking ball, was a stripped-down Miley — almost the complete opposite of Hannah Montana. Video parodies began popping up all over the Net. Again, social media went crazy. “Wrecking Ball,” the song, rocks. It has to be her best effort to date, which if you asked me before I probably would have said “The Climb.” It’s the perfect kind of song to illustrate her strong vocal talents.Yes, Miley is growing up and she’s going to experiment. “Bangerz” is proof. In addition to crazy pop-driven beats courtesy of industry heavyweights Pharrell Williams, Dr. Luke and Will.i.am., there are some shining moments like the coming-of-age album opener “Adore You.”Guest artists include Britney Spears on “SMS Bangers” and Nelly on “4x4.”

David T. Farr is a Journal Correspondent. Email him at farrboy@hotmail.com. You can also find The Farr Side on Facebook.